Pro-drop Languages

Guest   Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:34 pm GMT
You don't need context to determine who the subject is in English.

"I hate you" can refer to several people who are hated by me or just one person, hence the context is required.
Guest   Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:57 pm GMT
No. It refers to one person. If you wanted to refer to multiple people, you would say "I hate y'all." in the South, or "I hate youse." in New York, or "I hate you lot." or something in Britain, etc.
Guest   Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:59 pm GMT
<<No. It refers to one person. If you wanted to refer to multiple people, you would say "I hate y'all." in the South, or "I hate youse." in New York, or "I hate you lot." or something in Britain, etc.>>

No you're wrong. YOU can perfectly well refer to many people, in fact that is how refined people talk. You wont find any refined, cultured people committing linguistic fallacies by saying things such as 'youse'. I am shocked at such utter ignorance of proper, noble English.
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:12 am GMT
"Refined" people as you call them speak with ambiguous grammar. They are idiots!
Guest   Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:30 am GMT
Ambiguity is sophisticated. Explicity is vulgar.
Guest   Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:57 am GMT
PARISIEN Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:07 pm GMT
I'd like to make my question once again:

Besides Germanic languages and French, which other languages are NON pro-drop?

Any hint is welcome. I really want to know.
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good question - are French and Germanic languages (German, English Swedish, Netherlands etc.) the only languages systematically using pronouns?
Guest   Wed Apr 16, 2008 7:41 am GMT
Chinese maybe?